Amplifying Asian American and Pacific Islander Voices

What does it take to not only preserve a community but foster its ability to thrive? These are questions we’re exploring during Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) month – and throughout the year – but it’s also a question for public media itself.?As we grow and expand onto new platforms, we must be attentive to the community’s needs.?

Last week, GBH held our 14th annual AAPI Heritage Month event, hosted by GBH and WORLD General Manager of Television Liz Cheng, this year in partnership with Chicago’s WTTW.?GBH is proud to be a convener of the AAPI community, both nationally and locally in the Greater Boston area. The event showcased the vital importance of ethnic neighborhoods, such as Boston’s and Chicago’s Chinatown, Boston Little Saigon as well as the Cambodian community in Lowell, Mass. It chronicled the many challenges in those enclaves of ongoing gentrification, development and commercialization, at odds with the need to preserve and amplify the voices of people living there.?A new film, premiering on May 23 on GBH WORLD’s Local U.S.A.:?A Tale of Three Chinatowns, co-produced by Penny Lee and Lisa Mao, describes the triumphs and erosion in the Chinatowns of Boston, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.

Angie Liou, executive director of the Asian Community Development Corporation, talked about the need to create affordable housing and reclaim the land where Boston’s Chinatown sits. She also spoke about the importance of “place-keeping” local artists who create public art in Chinatown to foster a sense of belonging by encouraging residents to preserve the stories and culture of where they?live.

Sothea Chiemruom, executive director of the Cambodia Mutual Assistance Association in Lowell, spoke about the importance of enriching identity and culture, with youth development, educating immigrants and refugees about their rights, economic development, civic participation and, most importantly, empowering self-sufficiency in the Khmer community.??

GBH’s commitment to showcasing content by and about the AAPI communities is evident year-round, with a special focus in May, as we produce many events, including one with the Boston Asian American Film Festival and The Boston Globe on May 23. This month, GBH WORLD will feature more than 50 films by and about Asian American and Pacific Islanders, including 10 original films that address issues that run the gamut from AAPI hate and COVID-19’s impact on the loss of lives and jobs, to the fate of Chinatowns across the country. One fascinating film from our weekly series America Reframed, Geographies of Kinship, can be found on worldchannel.org. It weaves together the complex lives of four adult adoptees born in South Korea who search for their heritage and history.

We have also commissioned seven emerging AAPI filmmakers, who explore the challenges of immigration, COVID and violence against AAPI as well as the joys of family, shared culture and hopeful futures. Throughout May, we present these “Asian American Stories of Resilience and Beyond” in partnership with the Asian American Documentary Network and the Center for Asian American Media.

Discovering and providing platforms for multicultural voices to tell their own stories is core to GBH’s mission and purpose.?Public media is the last locally-owned, operated and governed media in the U.S. and we must be here for our communities. This month, and every month, we must make space for diverse voices to be heard.

See all of GBH’s AAPI Month offerings here.